An Asian-Style Garlic Tofu recipe with flavorful marinade and great served with rice! Easy to prepare and filled with delicious, savory flavor. (Vegan, gluten-free option.)
This Asian-inspired garlic tofu is so simple, yet filled with flavor.
The tofu marinates in a sticky sweet sauce made with hoisin, garlic, and tamari.
If you're not familiar with hoisin sauce, it is like a thick, flavorful Asian-style BBQ sauce. (Yum!)
The first time I used it was for this Vegetable Lo Mein and knew I had to start working it into more dishes. The flavor and texture is perfect for an easy marinade like this one.
Ingredients for Asian Garlic Tofu
For this recipe you will need:
- Extra-firm tofu: Tofu is made from soybean curds and it's rich in protein, calcium, potassium, and iron. I try to purchase organic tofu when possible.
- Green onion (scallion)
- Toasted sesame oil
- Hoisin sauce: This is a thick, richly flavorful sauce that is sweet and salty. The main ingredient is usually fermented soybean paste along with other flavors and spices. Most of the time I use "San-J" brand gluten-free hoisin sauce.
- Tamari: Or you can substitute soy sauce, but I use tamari for gluten-free. Be sure to use low sodium if desired. Coconut aminos could also work.
- Fresh garlic cloves: You can also include freshly grated ginger for more warmth and flavor.
Garnish: Sprinkle sesame seeds on your bowl before serving if desired!
Tips
Draining the tofu: Before marinating, we'll remove excess liquid from the block of tofu. (This allows the tofu to better soak up the marinade.) To do this, either lightly press it between towels, or use a tofu press if you have one.
Marinating: After tossing the tofu in the garlic sauce, we'll let it chill in the fridge for 30+ minutes. This gives the flavors a chance to absorb into the tofu and intensify. (No problem if you don't have time to marinate, however. The flavors won't be quite as bold, but it will still taste great.)
Tip: Feel free to marinate the tofu longer for a few hours if you'd like!
Customizing
Sauce flavors: Freshly grated ginger is also a tasty addition to the sauce! Or you can stir in rice vinegar or even pure maple syrup for a touch of added sweetness.
Make it spicy: Sprinkle red chili pepper flakes or sriracha hot sauce to taste before serving.
Serving
We enjoy pairing it with brown rice and broccoli for an easy dinner.
Tip: This tofu is also great with stir-fries, fried rice, or other Asian-inspired meals!
For more inspiration, also browse all vegan tofu recipes or Asian-inspired recipes.
Asian-Style Garlic Tofu
Ingredients
- 14 oz. extra-firm tofu
- 4 green onions
- 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- Optional for serving: cooked brown rice, quinoa, noodles, sesame seeds for topping
For the garlic sauce:
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce (see notes for gluten-free)
- 2 Tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- Optional: freshly grated ginger
Instructions
- Remove excess moisture from the tofu by gently pressing it between towels. Then cut it into bite-sized cubes. (I cut mine about 3/4-inch.) Set aside.
- Make the sauce: Mince garlic. Then in a shallow pan (I use an 8"x8" glass baking dish) add the three ingredients for the garlic sauce. Stir to combine.
- Add tofu cubes to the sauce and gently toss until thoroughly coated. (*Optional: if you have time, cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 30 minutes or a few hours.)
- When ready, cook the tofu: In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium heat.
- Once oil is hot, carefully add the marinated tofu (with any remaining sauce). Spread out the cubes in a single layer. Simmer and cook without stirring for 5-7 minutes or until lightly seared on one side. Flip, and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice green onions and add to the pan during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. (Sometimes I add a little more hoisin or tamari if the pan becomes dry. The sauce should almost completely absorb into the tofu however.)
- Great served warm over brown rice (and garnished with sesame seeds or more green onions if desired).
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
If you are enjoying this garlic tofu with Asian-style marinade and rice, also check out:
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Jennifer says
This was wonderfully flavoured! I ended up marinating the tofu overnight, and it was fantastic. I served it with rice and steamed broccoli for a simple weeknight dinner. Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe!
Kaitlin says
Excellent to hear you enjoyed it, Jennifer! Rice, broccoli, and tofu - beautiful simplicity. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Elaine says
Easy and yummy! It's a keeper.
Kaitlin says
Great to hear - thank you!
Amy says
This was great. Added red pepper flakes for some zing!
Kaitlin says
Wonderful addition!
Grace McCormick says
Do you freeze your tofu first? Or CAN you freeze and thaw it first for this recipe? I always freeze and thaw my tofu before cooking because it slightly changes the texture and doesn't fall apart as easily. Your thoughts??
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Hey Grace! I've never tried freezing tofu before - but would be curious to try it out. Thanks for the tip! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Fayth Goddard says
Made this tonight and it was a big hit! I added broccoli and carrots which I stir fried in the sauce on the side. My meat-eating fiancée loved it too! Thanks for a great recipe.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
That sounds fantastic! Love your additions!
Rachna says
Hi there, I made this for lunch today and it turned out amazing! I did not expect tofu to have as much flavor as it did. I marinated it overnight and served it with a simple fried rice. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
That's great! Love the fried rice pairing!
Janzelle Willars says
Kaitlin, I'm so happy I found your site. I'm trying to change over to a plant-based diet (pretty much there), and you have some great recipes. I'm going to try this one for Asian Garlic Tofu. I don't have any hoisin sauce, but I have a jar of Lee Kum Kee Char Siu Sauce which it says in parentheses that it is Chinese barbecue sauce. Do you think that would work in place of the hoisin sauce?
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Hi Janzelle! Thrilled to hear about your transition to plant-based - that's great! I've never had that particular sauce before, but it sounds like it could be similar. Would love to hear how it turns out.
Bridget says
Unfortunately this was just too sweet for me. This was my first time using hoisin sauce, so, perhaps, lesson learned. Actually, if you remove the hoisin sauce (and add eggs and veggies), this is pretty much my usual fried rice recipe, so I think I'll stick with that. Nevertheless, thanks for sharing.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Hi Bridget! Bummer it was too sweet for you, but thanks for your input!
Aura Lemoine says
Amazingly delicious! This was my first time cooking with tofu, and I'm so grateful I did it with this recipe. My husband loved it... actually, my whole family loved it. I found a recipe for a homemade hoisin sauce and it was so good! This is a keeper. Thank you, Kaitlin, for sharing this recipe.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Nona Suomy says
So good. I added some finely chopped jalapeños to the mixture and used 1 tbsp of tamari and 1/2 tsp of Liquid Amino Acids and oh man. Definitely making this again!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
That's so great! Thanks for sharing your helpful feedback!
Marijke Pieters-Kwiers says
I tried this recipe, but I used rice noodles instead of rice and it was AMAZING! Oh but next time I might cut the tofu a little smaller than the recipe says, 1 inch is a bit big for me, but otherwise it was so good!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great idea! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Rebekah says
Do the sauce ingredients need to be heated before marinating? Your instructions say to use a shallow pan and stir, but I can't tell if that's over a burner or just to mix the ingredients together cold... Thanks!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
No heating necessary - I just mix it cold.
Dan Umbenhaur says
I just made this for lunch. I doubled the recipe and let the tofu sit in the marinade for about 2 hours. Because of this, there was no extra sauce; only my wife wanted it to be more saucy. VERY easy to make and super delicious. Thanks!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Thanks for sharing!
SKCranePhotography says
This is one of my all time favorite tofu recipes!! So good!!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Great to hear!
Tara says
Hi! Would this last in the fridge for 5 days? Thanks.
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Our leftovers have only lasted about 1-2 days in the fridge before getting eaten up, so anything past that I'm really not sure. It may last another couple days, but might dry out a little - in which case you could add some extra hoisin when reheating.
Shirly F says
Easy and tasty, just made this for my family, it was a hit! Thank you!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer says
Wonderful to hear you all enjoyed!